Law enforcement officers lead April Davis to a car during a search for her son on Wednesday.

Law enforcement officers lead April Davis to a car during a search for her son on Wednesday.

Photo: James Nielsen / Houston Chronicle

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April Davis and her husband Mike Davis walk outside their home as law enforcement officers and volunteers search for her son on Wednesday.

April Davis and her husband Mike Davis walk outside their home as law enforcement officers and volunteers search for her son on Wednesday.

Photo: James Nielsen / Chronicle

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Devon's parents, April and Mike Davis, embrace as investigators search around their home.

Devon's parents, April and Mike Davis, embrace as investigators search around their home.

Photo: Johnny Hanson / Houston Chronicle

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Officials searched for Devon Davis in Liberty County on Wednesday.

Officials searched for Devon Davis in Liberty County on Wednesday.

Photo: Johnny Hanson / Houston Chronicle

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Officials searched for Devon Davis in Liberty County on Wednesday.

Officials searched for Devon Davis in Liberty County on Wednesday.

Photo: Johnny Hanson / Houston Chronicle

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Officials searched for Devon Davis in Liberty County on Wednesday.

Officials searched for Devon Davis in Liberty County on Wednesday.

Photo: Johnny Hanson / Houston Chronicle

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Officials searched for Devon Davis in Liberty County on Wednesday.

Officials searched for Devon Davis in Liberty County on Wednesday.

Photo: Johnny Hanson / Houston Chronicle

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Officials searched for Devon Davis in Liberty County on Wednesday.

Officials searched for Devon Davis in Liberty County on Wednesday.

Photo: Johnny Hanson / Houston Chronicle

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Officials searched for Devon Davis in Liberty County on Wednesday.

Officials searched for Devon Davis in Liberty County on Wednesday.

Photo: Johnny Hanson / Houston Chronicle

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Liberty County boy's death 'appears accidential'

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A drone aircraft operated by volunteers from Texas Equusearch on Saturday located the body of missing 2-year-old Devon Davis floating in an algae-covered pond about 300 yards from his parents’ home in Cleveland.

Devon’s mother, April Davis, 27, said she had put him down for a nap, and she later fell asleep, when the little boy vanished on Tuesday.

Liberty County Sheriff’s spokesman Rex Evans said the death “appears accidental.”

“We’re all human,” he said. “I don’t think (the mother) did anything intentional at all.”

The family had just driven from Virginia and Davis was probably exhausted, he said.

The pond had been searched before, but plants covering the surface kept the boy’s body from view, officials said. Equusearch launched the drone about 9:15 a.m. on Saturday, the first day that weather permitted, Texas Equusearch coordinator Ken DeFoor said.

From an altitude of 400 feet, the drone’s digital camera picked up a red shirt worn by the boy, who appeared to be floating in the southwest corner of the pond, he said.

“Once we got the photographs from the airplane back to the outpost, we reviewed the images and you could see a red color that looked out of place,” said DeFoor.

A helicopter flew over to confirm and authorities recovered the boy’s body around 1:50 p.m.

“Our searchers are very exhausted,” DeFoor said. “It’s hot out here, these woods are thick, they’ve been going since Wednesday morning all day long, and it’s very taxing, but we’re very relieved that there’s a conclusion to the search. It’s a bad conclusion but it’s a conclusion at least.”

The FBI has questioned the boy’s mother, who was alone with Devon and his 1-year-old sister the afternoon he disappeared, the Houston Chroniclereported Friday. Authorities have also collected specimens from around the family’s house.

Davis was given a polygraph test and a law enforcement source said she failed part of it. However, the source has not discussed the test results or other elements of the investigation publicly.

Davis made her first statements to the media on Friday, wiping away tears and pleading with viewers to help find her son. “I know somebody out there must have seen something,” Davis said.